


Truth Be Told I'm Lying

by CaptainAwesome242



Series: Truth Be Told [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Anger, Character Study, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Emotions, Episode: s03e01 The Empty Hearse, Gen, POV John Watson, Sherlock Being Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes Returns after Reichenbach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 22:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12757341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainAwesome242/pseuds/CaptainAwesome242
Summary: John's reflections now that Sherlock has returned.





	Truth Be Told I'm Lying

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'Gives You Hell' by The All-American Rejects

John was the most upset by his reappearance. In fact, it seemed he was the _only_ one upset by Sherlock’s return.

He was angry, confused, betrayed, hurt, furious, relieved. He stood there, anger barely contained as he faced the man he had longed for over the last two years, demanding an explanation through gritted teeth.

Only to be laughed at. Sherlock had waltzed in disguised as a French waiter thinking it funny, only to laugh at John’s moustache of all things. As the night had worn on and more of Sherlock’s story had been revealed, John’s feelings of anger and betrayal deepened and he attacked his estranged friend more than a few times that night. Sherlock was the same as ever, seemingly unchanged by his two-year absence making deductions right off the bat. _“No, no, I’ve missed this!”_ John had sarcastically remarked, deciding there and then that he hadn’t. Except that he was lying to himself and he knew it.

Sure, he was angry about what Sherlock had done, but not nearly as angry as he was pretending, channelling his hurt at Sherlock’s indifference into anger at the man. That was the thing that got John the most – the fact that his best friend was entirely unaffected by his time away from John.

This hurt John the most. How dare he make him suffer as he did, for as long as he did, only to return unmoved by John’s pain and baffled by his anger. John told Sherlock to leave him alone that night before going home, leaving the detective on the pavement.

Over the next few days John tried his absolute hardest to stay angry with Sherlock, he truly did. A small part of him was desperate to swallow his pride and seek out his friend, but the bigger, bitter part of him was far better at holding onto his anger and telling himself that he never wanted to see the other man again. But as time went on and his anger cooled off he realised how relieved he truly was that Sherlock was alive. Not that he was ready to tell his friend that yet, hell he wasn’t even ready to accept it himself yet. So he maintained his silence.

And almost never got the chance to come clean when he almost burned to death in a bonfire.

It was unfortunate and terrifying but it was the push John needed to talk to Sherlock. To, if not forgive him then to at least be a little more welcoming and willing to listen. Because if John was being honest with himself, which he hadn’t been of late, he truly was relived and excited that Sherlock was back, and that it was the same Sherlock who had gone.

Besides, they had bigger problems now.


End file.
